Place cooling rack on cookie sheet or waxed paper to catch glaze drips. In 3-quart saucepan, stir powdered sugar, 1/2 cup water, the corn syrup and 2 teaspoons almond extract. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved; remove from heat. Stir in hot water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is pourable. Turn each mini-cake on cooling rack so top side is down. Pour about 1 tablespoon glaze over each cake, letting glaze coat the sides. Let stand 15 minutes.

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With decorating icing, pipe designs on cakes, or garnish cakes with flowers just before serving. Store loosely covered.

Expert Tips

You can make the cakes up to 2 weeks earlier and freeze, but wait to add the glaze until shortly before you serve them.

Miniature desserts are great choices for a dessert buffet. Guests can sample several of the desserts if they are only one or two bites each.

If you have only one pan and a recipe calls for more cupcakes than your pan will make, cover and refrigerate the rest of the batter while baking the first batch. Cool the pan about 15 minutes, then bake the rest of the batter, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.